Softball Recap: Flora Takes a Loss

Flora had lost three straight at home, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 10-10 to make it four. They came up short against the Effingham Hearts, falling 7-1. If the Wolves were looking for revenge after losing 3-2 to the Hearts when the teams met back in May of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

As for Effingham, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games.

For Effingham's part, Natalie Armstrong made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. Armstrong has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ryley Engel, who went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases and three runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Sidney Donaldson was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.

Coming up, Flora will welcome Edwards County at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. As for Effingham, they didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next game, a 10-0 win against Pinckneyville on the 9th.